logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
13m 17s

The Toba Eruption

Gary Arndt | Glassbox Media
About this episode
74,000 years ago, the Earth suffered the greatest natural disaster that it has seen in the last several million years.  A supervolcano erupted in what is today the country of Indonesia.  In addition to completely changing the Earth’s climate for years, it may have pushed a species known as Homo Sapiens to the brink of extinction.  Learn more about the Toba E ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
The Kokoda Track
In July 1942, Japanese forces landed on the north shore of the island of New Guinea  Their goal was to cross the island by land and take the strategic city of Port Moresby.  If they had been successful, the entire fate of the war in the Pacific would have altered.  They didn’t ... Show More
14m 3s
Nov 21
The Phoebus Cartel
Companies that sell products to the public have to follow a fine line.  On the one hand, they need to sell stuff to make money, and the way they do that is by making a good product.  However, if their product is too good, then people might not need to buy it again, or at least ... Show More
15m 4s
Nov 20
The Marshall Plan (Encore)
At the end of the Second World War, Europe was a mess. The economies of most countries were in shambles and the threat of communism loomed over the continent.  In a speech at Harvard University on June 5, 1947, U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall proposed a plan which cou ... Show More
15m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2025
Pompeii and the Vesuvius Eruption
"What happens when a volcano erupts just six miles from a bustling city? In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius is regarded as a source of bounty by those who live in its shadow. But one of history’s most infamous natural disasters soon unfolds. How did the lucky ones make their escape? And how ... Show More
45m 3s
Jun 2025
The Mysteries of Easter Island
<p>In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, over 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, lies one of the world’s most iconic archaeological treasure troves - Rapa Nui, known to the outside world as Easter Island. Famed for the towering stone faces of the <em>moai</em>, the island has u ... Show More
41m 27s
Aug 14
Pompeii
Warning: this episode contains explicit language and discussions of sex.Pompeii is a city frozen in time and shows us exactly how the Romans really lived. Buried by volcanic ash and debris from a catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, visitors to the Roman town can still see ... Show More
38m 51s
Sep 18
The Permian Extinction: When Life Nearly Died
It was the biggest mass extinction event in Earth’s history. 250 million years ago, a 252 million years ago, Earth faced its deadliest crisis. 97% of all life was wiped out in the Permian Extinction – a cataclysm so severe it’s known as The Great Dying.In this episode of The Anci ... Show More
58m 20s
Aug 2024
Krakatoa!
The awesome, brutal power of the Krakatoa eruption, which had the explosive force of a 200-megatonne bomb, killed more than 36,000 people and cooled the entire Earth by an average of 0.6°C. Curiously, Krakatoa is not the most powerful volcanic eruption in history, but it is perh ... Show More
11m 45s
Aug 2024
The Bronze Age Collapse
<p>Around 3,200 years ago, a vast, interconnected civilisation suddenly collapsed. A 'perfect storm' of climate catastrophe, famine, drought and invasion tore apart the eastern Mediterranean, plunging the survivors into decades of turmoil.</p><br><p>Eric Cline is the author of '1 ... Show More
41m 24s
Sep 7
The Minoan Eruption: Bronze Age Cataclysm
More than 3,500 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption devastated Thera - modern day Santorini - engulfing the Bronze Age world in ash and fire. Entire landscapes were buried, ash darkened the skies, and the shockwaves rippled across the eastern Mediterranean.In this episode of T ... Show More
55m 9s
Dec 2024
The First South Americans
<p>The prehistoric archaeology of South America is fascinating and constantly developing.</p><br><p>Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Tom Dillehay to discuss how early humans navigated their migration from North to South America, adapting to diverse environments and leaving a rich ... Show More
46m 57s
Jul 2024
The Maya Collapse
<p>Just over 1,000 years ago, the ancient Maya world in Mesoamerica was turned upside down. Prominent cities like Tikal, Palenque, Copan and Calakmul, their great stone art and architecture left to be gradually reclaimed by the jungle. It's a time of decline known as the Maya Col ... Show More
43m 16s
Sep 11
Fall of the Sumerians
Tristan Hughes continues our special series on Great Disasters, journeying back to ancient Mesopotamia with Dr Paul Collins to explore the fall of the Sumerians.4,000 years ago, the great cities of Sumer — Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Girsu — stood as glittering centres of power, crowned wi ... Show More
1h 1m
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami